As the honorable duty of writing a release rant has been handed to me like a hot potato, I will use this space to relate to you something from an editor's every day - the difficulty of choosing the right font to properly represent the Japanese original. I often ask myself 'Should the look be the same, or does the style suggest a meaning that will be lost if I go by appearances? And how much time do I want to spend searching for a font that unites both qualities?' In the case of our new project Arata Kangatari I've decided to go by looks and (lack of) readablity - that's why a mythic quote at the beginning is edited in art deco style.

I hope you all enjoy the first chapter of Yuu Watase's funny and exciting fantasy gender-bender manga! And now on to the other stuff, in order of recency: In chapter 2 of Helen ESP our blind heroine leads you further into her not-quite-lightless world and Saijou no Meii has chapter 10 and some liver disecting action! Add to that what I bet is some wonderful ecchi in chapter 44 of Change 123 and Lucu Lucu begins a new volume with chapter 64!

A note from Snoopy on Arata Kangatari: As a general rule, we don't normally pick up projects that other people are working... and we don't find the original translation of this offensive or anything, it's just that the staff really enjoy this manga (and I have a senior editor who is unhealthily obessed with the author) and wanted to make it available in a higher visual quality release. We're not going to delve into the magazine scans or speed release this one, it's purely an HQ project for our own enjoyment that you guys get to read if you'd like to.

April 21, 2009 - Kinda back on track, almost

-Snoopy.

It looks like we may be back into something of a schedule for most of the projects, so here's hoping we keep it up. This week has some old favorites that haven't seen releases lately, yaaaay.

First, the one that everyone has been bugging me about, Change 123 chapter 43 is done and ready for your viewing pleasure. May chapter 44 come out quickly. Next, I've got a re-edit of Doubt for you, chapter 12 and a cute little dead Hajime bunny omake page. Then up is the more or less standard fare. We have Saijou no Meii chapter 9, Sumire 17 chapter 7 and rounding it all out, Lucifer and the Biscuit Hammer returns with chapter 24! I like this chapter.

Cheers, guys.

April 7, 2009 - We're really messing up the schedule, huh

-Snoopy.

Well, what can I say, we're not sticking to the usual schedule this month, I guess... it should be back to normal soon, so give us a little more time to get things working the way they should.

This release marks a grand occassion~!... well, now really... but it does mark the beginning of a new project. This one is the replacement for Doubt, and it's Helen ESP! By the much praised and hated author of Franken Fran! This is about Helen, who happens to have lost her sight, hearing and speach in a car accident... you'd think it'd be sad, but it's one of those pick-me-up type stories, surprisingly enough... like Franken Fran, only the opposite. It starts a little slow, but gets pretty consistent by the end of volume 1.

Next we have the return of Saijou no Meii, this time chapter 8! WOOOOH! And finally, Lucu Lucu chapters 62 and 63, rounding out volume 7. We'll have all the big name stuff ready for you a little later, so keep your hands to yourself.

March 27, 2009 - Yet another staff update! This time Hikage!

-Hikage.

Another update this week as promised. Some stuff I like to bring up. Let's talk about irc. I notice we still get a few people that will come in and try to look for a bot to get the release from. Please don't 'xdcc list' the hops. The only bot I know of on the channel is Ramune (thank you for it, too). If you like to help distro our release on irc, gimme a shout.

Second thing I like to mention, I'm going to disappear for 2 weeks in mid April. So all my projects will be stalled (Not like they ain't stalled as it is... >.>) except for Lucifer and the Biscuit Hammer (that would be Undead, DMWL, etc). Cosmos has offered to keep this series running while I'm gone. So all you Lucifer fans give Cosmos a big hug for it.

Third thing is those of you who filled Snoopy with emails about LBH or DMWL chapters; the delay is because I'm feeling under the weather. Anyways, on to the release.

We have the long awaited ch21 of DMWL. Not much action, but we see something new. LBH ch23 puts us at the end of Volume 03 with new knights. Then comes El El ch6, followed by Lucu Lucu chapters 60 and 61 (the last volume of Lucu is coming in June, btw, it's volume 10). And last but not least, we have Change 123 ch42. All those girls on the color insert for volume 9 are now officially introduced. Shmexy. We'll be having another update on Tuesday at the usual time and place.

March 24, 2009 - Ugh

-Snoopy.

Over the years, SC (and I particularly) have slowly gained a reputation for good work ethic. This is a good thing, mostly, because it means that we can slack off and people assume that we're just 'working really hard on the next big release'. Anyway, after a week-long 'vacation' from 'working', we're kinda back. I'm moving some administration duties over to Cosmos in the next week or so, so for those of you interested in joining the group, she will be your new contact... I just don't have time to read and reply to test emails anymore. I used to do it from work, but things are just too busy and when I get home, the last thing I want to do is talk to someone or read emails. Anyway, her email will be up in the 'join us' section in the coming days.

This is the first release of the week, but we'll have another one shortly... like a day or two. So, for now, I'm giving you Sumire 17! chapter 6, Lucu Lucu chapter 59 and Shiki chapter 11. Just to let you know that we're still alive and still working on everything else.

March 10, 2009 - First staff update in 3 years!

-Cosmos.

So tonight is the first rant update by a staff member, huh? And why am I the one doing it? Well, because I usually have interesting points to bring up and will try to get to the goods as quick as possible, so deal with it. Anywho, as I was preparing this update for ya'll I came across a "goodie" snoopy slipped into my chapter. It was the cover of Franken Fran volume 3. Little did I know I would be so graciously distracted by the hotness of this image, as you can see for yourselfhere. Unfortunately though, when I get home and show this picture to my husband, expecting him to go "yeah, that's hot" I get a response like "uh, why do you find that hot?" *sigh* Much to my dismay, he finds images like this oneso much hotter, whereas I can only think of some lonely 40+ year old in his mom's basement drawing Loli girls to keep him company when I see these images. Fran and Adorea however? They are hot and somehow even when the image of this older male mangaka having a 20-something year old locked in his basements tied up in various ways naked as a model comes to mind when I see them... they are even hotter.

Now! On to the goods! In celebration of my rant tonight I bring you the rest of Franken Fran HQ volume 2, this includes 26 pages of an "extra" with added "extra's" we threw in of never-before-read in English content! These took foreveeeeeeeever to edit btw, I'm not sure why though. Also tonight we have the next not-so-action-packed chapter of Lucifer and the Biscuit Hammer with chapter 22, and chapter 41 of Change 123, blah blah blah.

So until next rant 'o mine. Enjoy the manga (and hotness)!

March 3, 2009 - It's Square Root Day

-Snoopy.

So... I gave the staff a very short time frame to say "yeah, I wanna write the update" and no one replied (not even on AIM, I feel so neglected T__T). They'll get in on the next one... I'll be sure to give more warning.

Anyway, today is a square root day, for those that aren't aware. It's 3/3/09, and 3 is the square root of 9. There are only 9 in every century, so it's kinda neat and worth knowing.

Today's update is a little sparse, but we'll fill it in with some other stuff in a few days. First up, Piano no Mori chapter 43 comes in with the beginning of the regional finals, then Lucu does something cute in chapters 57 and 58 of Lucu Lucu, Fran does something creepy in chapter 23 of Franken Fran, and we come to a turning point in Lucifer and the Biscuit Hammer. Just keeps getting better, folks.

February 24, 2009 - Much better this week

-Snoopy.

Our top headline today: Doubt is finished! Chapter 20 marks the final chapter to this rabbit love story. Of course, SC's work on this manga isn't quite over yet, as we will be releasing high quality versions once the final volume is published, but hell yeah, one more project out of the way, making room for a new one. I can't wait! *giddy*

Anyway, in other news. Change 123 chapter 40, the first chapter in volume 9, is done and up for your pleasure, followed by a re-release of Deadman Wonderland chapter 14 in high quality, then another chapter of everyone's favorite puppet turned high school student, Sumire. Then we go into the darker side of things with a new chapter of El El, and we finally wrap up this week's release with two, count 'em, TWO chapters of Hoshi no Samidare: Lucifer and the Biscuit Hammer. The fight is heating up, and the next chapter begins the epicness... seriously, next week just can't come soon enough for me.

And that's all I got. Peace out, my homies.(staff will be writing the update rants starting next week~ they tend to go all out with pictures and weirdness, so look forward to it~)

February 17, 2009 - Another my bad

-Snoopy.

Yeah, this is a small one, but the most popular project is present and accounted for this time. Change 123 chapter 39 is finished and ready for your viewing pleasure (complete with color pages). Other things are in the works for later in the week.